Immigration confirms departure of suspect in fatal hazing of Benilde student

The Bureau of Immigration has confirmed that one of the suspects in the fatal hazing of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde student Guillo Cesar Servando has already left the country.

 

In a statement released Wednesday, Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said Kevin John Navoa left for the United States last July 1, three days after Servando, 18, was found dead inside a condominium unit after allegedly undergoing initiation rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

 

Mison, however, assured that the other suspects are still in the Philippines.

 

He added that the departure of Navoa could have not been prevented because no hold-departure order was issued in connection with Servando's death.

 

“Without such court issued hold departure order, we have no legal position to prevent anyone from leaving the country although we maintain the information in our data bank,” Mison said, noting that no hold order has been issued against the other suspects.

 

However, he said Navoa may still be deported back to the Philippines if the Department of Foreign Affairs cancels his passport.

 

Navoa is among the members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity allegedly involved in the supposed hazing of several neophytes.

 

Servando, who was taking up hotel and restaurant management, succumbed to the injuries he suffered after the initiation rites on June 28. He was cremated July 2.

Aside from Servando, three fellow neophytes, one of them a minor, underwent initiation rites and were hospitalized.

Earlier in the day, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said a suspect in the fatal hazing of Servando has been placed under provisional inclusion in the Witness Protection Program.

The suspect surrendered to De Lima Tuesday night.
 

De Lima said the suspect admitted to being present during the initiation rites, but denied touching any of the neophytes. "Mayroon siyang ibang role other than the beating, other than pagpapalo or pagsusuntok doon sa mga neophyte," she said.
 

Meanwhile, a report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday said the National Bureau of Investigation has already obtained photos of some of the suspects and is hopeful that a case will be soon filed against them for violating the Anti-Hazing Law.

 

Among the suspects whose photos have already been obtained by the NBI are Cody Errol Morales, the alleged fraternity head; Esmerson Calupas, master initiator; Daniel Paul Martin Bautista; Trex Pablico; Kurt Michael Almazan; and Carl Francis Loresca. — RSJ, GMA News